Royal Pains
by Ixcalia
Summary: Roxas is a 'princess'. But now, Roxas is being forced into marriage by his brother. This isn't what he was expecting...Should be better than it sounds. AxelXRoxas RikuXSora in later chapters. Rated M for possible scenes later.
1. Chapter 1

Hehe…go this idea while watching the movie Enchanted on TV. It entertained me, so why not?

Chapter 1:

It was just another day in the Destiny Island Kingdom. At least it was for 'Princess' Roxas. Now, Roxas was by no means a girl. But his mother had wanted a daughter, and what the queen wanted, the queen got. While his older brother was treated properly, he was treated as the little girl.

An illness had killed the king and queen a few months ago though. Roxas' older twin, Sora ruled over the kingdom by himself and everything was so perfect for the boy. Roxas on the other hand…

"I'm so tired of this!" he growled, looking out the window of his room. He tugged on the blue dress that passed off as his 'casual' wear. "Why can't I wear _boy _clothes? Hell, why can't I be a _boy_?"

A knock on the door interrupted his angry rant. "What?" he snapped. The door slowly opened and a blonde guard entered casually. "What do you want Hayner?"

"Your brother wants to see you. He says it's important," Hayner grinned and looked the younger boy over.

"S-Stop that!" Roxas' face turned a dark shade of red. He pushed passed the other boy and stormed out of his room.

Roxas entered the throne room and looked at his brother who was talking to one of the citizens. Really, Sora was a good king; he was kind and caring towards his people. Sometimes though, the people took advantage of him and that pissed Roxas off.

The citizen, a merchant, bowed appreciatively and stalked out of the throne room with a greedy grin on his face. Bastard. Sighing, Roxas walked up to his brother.

"What's up?" he asked. Sora looked at him, biting his lip nervously. "Okay, I don't like that. What did you do?"

"You're not going to love hearing this, but," Sora rubbed his head and looked away from the younger twin. He really didn't want to do this to him, but he was out of options. "Have you heard about the status of the neighboring kingdom?"

"The Kingdom of Twilight? Yeah. The king's really sick and the prince doesn't have a wife yet, so the kingdom's in disarray." Sora nodded. In the Kingdom of Twilight, it was necessary that the next ruler was married before they could take the throne.

"That's right. But things just got worse. I received a dispatch from the king. He threatened to declare war on us, unless…well…hmm…" Sora trailed off, turning his attention to the floor. Roxas was going to kill him. That is, if the prince of the neighboring kingdom didn't first.

"Unless what?" Roxas leaned closer to his brother. War? What the hell was wrong with their king? Declaring war on his death bed. Damn psycho.

"Unless I agreed to let their prince marry our princess; in other words, you." Roxas stared at his brother wide eyed.

"No. Absolutely not! Let them declare war! The king will be dead soon enough," Roxas turned to leave, but Sora's quiet voice stopped him.

"It's too late. I already agreed," Sora quivered as Roxas turned to glare at him. Even in a dress, the younger sibling was always threatening.

"YOU WHAT?!"

* * *

Green eyes closed tiredly. His father was nearly gone and there was nothing he could do. But right now, he was beyond angry at the dying man. How could he do this to him?

Axel clenched the paper in his hand angrily. He was getting married in two weeks to some princess that he'd never met before. His father had assigned the whole thing without telling him. That is, the same man who used to tell him he should find a woman he loved, despite their status.

'It's to save our kingdom!' His father's words echoed through his head. Axel knew that everything was bad right now, but he could have handled it if his father had let him. He could have found a 'wife' in no time.

Honestly, it wasn't the fact that he had to get married to save his kingdom that bothered him. It was the fact that he was getting married to a _princess_. Hell no! He was gay dammit! But now, it didn't matter. Axel would never find someone that he loved because he was marrying some girl that was raised to be an annoying, spoiled brat!

"Your stuff is all packed and ready to go. A carriage will be here in a few hours to take you to the other kingdom," the blonde girl smirked at his miserable expression. "What's a matter Axel? Not ready to give up your single freedom?"

"I don't want to marry a woman. Especially some princess that I've never even met," Axel snapped, a hand running through his red hair. "You know that Larxene."

Larxene's blue eyes softened slightly. "Cheer up. Maybe it won't be so bad." Axel snorted. "Don't be like that. You're doing this for—"

"For the kingdom, I know. I guess I'll just have to get used to it." The red head sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, what guards will be accompanying me?"

"That would be Demyx and Zexion. Is that okay?" Axel twitched, but nodded. "Oh, come on! At least it isn't Marluxia and Luxaeus!"

"True. Get me when the carriage gets here. I'm going to my room." Larxene sighed and watched him go.

"Poor kid."

* * *

Roxas cursed and kicked the heels off. Screw Sora. The dress was long enough to hide his bare feet. Huffing angrily, he examined himself in the mirror. He was wearing a burgundy dress with gold trim. At least it wasn't one of the poofy ones. He had to admit though; it didn't look bad on him.

Deciding he looked good enough, Roxas quickly placed the golden tiara on his head and rushed out to the court yard. The prince would be here soon and it wouldn't do for him to be late.

He stopped beside Sora and held his arm, as was proper. Roxas gave his twin a look and 'accidentally' elbowed him in the side none-to-gently. Sora winced and glared at him.

"Stop," he demanded. "I know you're angry, but it had to be done. We couldn't handle a war right now."

"Whatever." was the only response he received.

"Um, I guess I should tell you one more thing before the prince arrives," Sora whispered, flinching as Roxas scowled and sent him a cold glare.

"What? It better be good, because I don't think you're in any position to be telling me anything else," Sora sighed heavily. "Well, out with it!"

"The prince," he mumbled quickly as the carriage pulled up in front of them. Two guards that had been accompanying the carriage climbed off their horses, one beginning to open the door for the prince. "He doesn't know you're a boy."

Before Roxas could retort, the prince stepped out, looking just as unhappy as he was. However, the unhappiness was quickly replaced with surprise as he looked at the 'princess'. His green eyes widened and he simply stared.

"You're a…" Roxas yanked his arm away from Sora and scowled. Axel swallowed as he examined his soon-to-be wife. "You're a boy."

"Yep. Too bad. Guess you'll have to find someone else," Roxas sneered at Sora and turned to walk back into the castle, but a hand caught his arm in a firm grip.

"Wait." Axel's voice sounded kind of shaky. Maybe this wouldn't be as tragic as he thought. After all, the boy was beautiful, even if he was wearing a dress.

Roxas turned around angrily, his blue eyes meeting the red head's green ones. Slowly, his anger dissipated and he could only stare as the red head grabbed his hand and lightly kissed the back of it. "W-What's your name?"

"Axel. And what's yours?" Roxas swallowed nervously, his hand shaking slightly in the others grip.

"Um, Roxas."

There is my first chapter. I know it's not good, so tell me what you think and maybe I'll continue it. I'm not sure right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Got more of a response than I thought I would. Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed!

Chapter 2:

"Um, Roxas."

Sora looked between the two and tried to hide his grin. Axel's father had mentioned that the prince was gay, and the king had known Roxas was the 'princess' from a time when he met them long ago. There was only one problem he'd have to deal with…

Roxas gulped and quickly pulled his hand away from the red head. "Uh, I've got to go. Sorry!" With that, the blonde ran into the castle.

"Did I do something wrong?" Axel asked, looking at Sora desperately. "Please, tell me what I can do to apologize!"

"Don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong," Sora looked up at the prince. It was strange that this older boy was a prince, while he, the younger, was already a king. "Roxas is confused; he's been treated as a girl his entire life. He wants to be a boy and he is boyish, but I know he's gay. He just won't admit it." Sora gave Axel a grin. "So, you can help me. Roxas has been so unhappy and nothing I do seems to help. Help him be happy."

Axel rubbed the back of his head nervously. The blonde was adorable, someone he would definitely go after. But he didn't want to push himself on the boy. "I'll try. But I was told the wedding—"

"The wedding will be in two weeks. You have that long to win him over on you own," Sora smiled, patted him on the back, and walked into the castle, leaving the red head to his thoughts.

"Sooo, what are you gonna do?" Axel turned to look at his guards, both of whom were looking at him curiously.

"Demyx, Zexion? What did you two think of him?" he asked. Demyx grinned excitedly.

"I thought he was cute!"

"He looked like a girl."

Axel narrowed his eyes at Zexion. "Honestly, would it bother you that much to give me an opinion instead of stating the obvious?"

"Yes," Zexion smirked at the frustrated prince. "Sorry. I guess he was kind of cute. I think he'd look better in normal clothes though." Demyx nodded in agreement.

"Either way. I have two weeks to get him to fall in love with me," Axel bit his lip. How do you win someone over when you know nothing about them?

"So you're gonna try?" Demyx asked. The dirty blonde looked excited. Axel nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

* * *

Roxas took a deep breath and sat down on his bed. He wasn't gay, he wasn't gay, HE WASN'T GAY DAMMIT!!!

"Right, this isn't working. What can I do? I have to do something to stop this stupid wedding! I just can't marry that guy. Besides, he looked like he was more fit to wear a dress than me." He snickered at that, trying to imagine the older boy wearing the dress he was now. "I would love that."

A knock on the door forced his attention away from the images flashing through his head. "Who is it?" he called, sighing as Sora walked into the room uninvited.

"It wasn't very nice of you to leave him out there like that," the brunette scolded, trying to look disciplinary. Roxas only rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't nice of you to agree to this whole thing without my permission, so I guess we're even." Sora sighed and sat down beside his younger sibling. He knew that it would be hard for Roxas to accept, but it was starting to get ridiculous.

"Roxas, you know why we couldn't start a war, right?" Roxas scowled and turned away from him. "Honestly, I don't thing that Axel's father would have started anything, but there's no point in risking it."

"So you have to offer me up for marriage? You couldn't even talk to me about it first? If you would have just asked—"

"You would've been just as stubborn as you're being now!" Sora took a deep breath to calm him self. "The same illness that took the life of mom and dad took the lives of over half the kingdoms population, soldiers included. In all, three-fourths of our soldiers died and we are trying our hardest to train the boys who are of age and are willing to give their lives if need be. But there aren't many who are willing to die."

"Well then force them! If you tell them to, they have no choice!" Roxas growled low in his throat, his bottom lip beginning to bleed as he bit down on it.

"So you're saying you're willing to let our entire kingdom die just because you don't want to get married to someone?!" Roxas closed his mouth and looked away. "You're so selfish! I'll go tell Axel that the marriage has been called off and that he can feel free to start a war if he wants. It's not like I have a choice at this point." Sora stood from the bed and went to storm out of the room, but Roxas' reaching hand caught his sleeve.

"I'll do it. Okay? Despite how unhappy I'll be; despite how absolutely humiliated I'll be, I'll do it."

Sora stared at him for a moment, his expression softening. "Why would you be humiliated? What's so wrong with getting married?"

"I'm a boy. All my life, I've been raised as a girl. I have to wear dresses, I have to curtsy instead of bow, and now I have to marry a guy that I don't even know. So why do you think I'm humiliated? I can't be me Sora. You can live happily and you can rule the kingdom, while still being yourself, but I was never given a choice!" Roxas wiped the tears from his eyes before they could fall.

"Roxas—"

"Whatever. Just get out of here and leave me alone." Sora went to protest, but shook his head. Apparently the younger twin needed time to think. So with that, he left the room and left Roxas to his thoughts.

After he left, Roxas stood and tore the dress off of him self, leaving him completely bare. It was the only time he could be anything like a boy. So be it. Despite the cool breeze blowing in through the balcony that made him shiver, he crawled onto his bed, naked, and pulled his knees to his chest. At least, for the moment, he could feel like he was himself and not some spoiled princess.

* * *

"Sounds like some heavy stuff." Sora jumped and turned to look at the red head prince. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" His voice sounded kind of teasing.

"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping on our conversation! It was none of your business." Axel smirked and gave the brunette an innocent look.

"I'm sorry. I was coming to talk to him, but I can see that now's not a good time to disturb him. But something's bothering me," Axel crossed his arms and gave the young king a mild glare. "If you're parents are gone, why do you continue to make him dress like that. It's obvious it makes him unhappy."

"If I had a choice, I would gladly let him dress normally. But, before they died, my parents told me that he had to continue on as if he were a 'princess'. Do you know how many troubles a princess can get her kingdom out of? For instance, a threat of war." Sora glared right back.

"I had nothing to do with that. If I had my choice, I'd still be in my kingdom, lounging around in my room. About a half hour ago, I would have gladly left to go home, but now that I've met this 'princess', I don't think I mind anymore," Axel grinned. "Now that I've decided, I think me and you need to have a little discussion about Roxas' likes and dislikes. Tell me everything you know."

Sora rubbed that back of his head. He had to question whether the prince would be a good choice for Roxas. It was his job to look after his kingdom, but Roxas was important too. "Right. Come this way and I'll tell you everything I know."

Axel followed behind him, neither of them noticing the frustrated blue eyes that watched them until they disappeared around a corner.

Second chapter done. Once again, thanks to all of you who reviewed! Appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all! Once again, appreciate all of you who read and/or reviewed! **CURIOUS QUESTION: If I wrote a story about the KH characters getting chibified (turned into little kids) and Riku have to watch them, who would read it? Just give me an opinion please!**

Chapter 3:

Roxas rubbed his eyes sleepily as he walked down the stairs that would lead him to the dining area. He had skipped dinner last night, refusing to leave his room despite Sora and Axel's pleading to come out to eat. He'd be damned if he was going to face the two of them. Which is why he was up at five in the morning to get his breakfast. There was no way anyone would be up at this time.

Of course, no one above loved him enough to grace him with suck luck. He was surprised to see a certain red head sitting at the table, gnawing on a piece of bacon tiredly.

"What are you doing up?" Roxas asked, both curiosity and anger getting the better of him. He hated how people seemed to read him so well. In fact, he was positive that Sora had tipped Axel off that he would try to avoid the two of them.

"Couldn't sleep; don't like sleeping over in new places, you know?" Axel eyed the boy sleepily. He was in a nightgown, much to his own annoyance. They couldn't even let him dress normally when he'd be in the confines of his room? Then again, he supposed there was always the possibility of him sleeping in nothing…

"It's rude to stare!" the blonde snapped at him, sitting as far away from Axel as he could manage. A tired looking servant walked out with a plate of eggs, sausage, and bacon and laid it down in front of Roxas. "Thanks Olette."

"You're welcome. Um, do you think I could go to sleep now?" Roxas gave her a pitying look and nodded. "Thank you so much Roxy."

"Roxy?" Roxas flushed when Axel repeated the nickname. "Nice nickname; I like it," he purred. Roxas twitched. "What? A servant can call you by a nickname, but I can't?"

"That 'servant' happens to be a friend of mine and you're not! So, yes, she can call me by a nickname, and NO you can't!" Emerald eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Harsh," Axel smirked, finishing off his own breakfast. He moved so that he was sitting next to the irritated blonde. "Hey, I'm not trying to upset you. Can't you just give me a chance?"

"I'm not gay," Roxas snapped, his appetite suddenly lost. "I already told Sora I'd marry you! What more do you want from me?"

"I don't want to marry someone who doesn't love me. That wouldn't be fair to either of us. So, I'm going to try my best to convince you that I'm not so bad; but you have to help me out here. I can't do all the work." Roxas seemed surprised by the sincerity in his voice, but shook his head.

"Sorry. If you want anything from me, you'll have to get it by yourself. I refuse to help you," Axel narrowed his eyes. "Good luck." Roxas went to stand, but Axel stood first and held him in place with a hand.

"No. You should eat something; I'll leave." Axel smirked at the surprise on the young boy's face. He'd give him something to be surprised about…

Slowly, Axel leaned down and placed his lips over Roxas' unwilling ones. There was no response from the other boy; he didn't expect any. Axel began to move his lips against Roxas', forcing his tongue inside before Roxas could deny him.

To his own annoyance, Roxas let out a breathy moan, almost inaudible. Almost. He was in such a daze, he didn't notice when he began to kiss the red head back, slowly at first, but then more vigorously as Axel stroked his tongue with his own.

But the moment was short lived; Roxas snapped back to reality and hissed angrily, biting down on Axel's tongue hard enough to make it bleed. Axel jerked away, tongue hanging out unattractively, blood dripping from the newly made cut.

"Bastard," Axel grumbled, the word nearly incomprehensible. Roxas couldn't help it. He laughed. He tried to stop it, but he just couldn't. The look on the red head's face was just too funny!

"As cute as your laugh is," Axel started after his tongue had stopped bleeding. "I find it offensive that you would laugh at something that horrible. After all, it seemed like you were enjoying that kiss at first." Roxas' face turned red at the accusation.

"I-I was not! You just…caught me by surprise is all." A deep chuckle from the older boy made Roxas' face redden even more.

"How does that explain why you were kissing back?"

"AGH! You are so frustrating! I barely even know you and you are annoying me to no end? Can't you take a hint? I'm not gay! I don't even like you!" Axel felt a pang of disappointment in his chest, but shrugged it off. Sora told him that Roxas would be stubborn and would deny him as long as possible.

"Fine. I'm sorry, but I'm trying to find a way to make things work between us so our life together isn't a complete disaster. I assure you, I'm going to find a way." With that, Axel left to leave the flustered Roxas to his thoughts.

"I'm not gay," he whined out loud, slamming his head against the table. "But still," he muttered, lifting his fingers to his lips shyly. "He's not a bad kisser." The realization of what he had said made him hit his head against the table once more. "That cocky bastard!"

After he had finally eaten his breakfast, he returned to his room again, walking towards the large, walk-in closet by his bed. He walked over to a lump of close and knelt beside it.

"Oi, when do you think you'll be big enough to eat someone for me," he asked jokingly. A little, reptilian-like head poked out from under the mass of dresses, a forked tongue flicking out momentarily to taste the air.

"Probably never," a child like voice escaped the beast. "But maybe I can smoke someone out." A puff of smoke came from the dragon's mouth to emphasize its point. Roxas chuckled and pet the scaled head.

"Never mind Blaze. I was just kidding," he mumbled, pulling the winged creature into his lap.

"I heard you crying earlier. What's a matter?" Blaze asked, nuzzling his chin lovingly. "I don't like it when you're sad."

"It's nothing. I'll tell you about it later, okay?" Blaze seemed to accept the answer, her wings curling around the boy in a comforting 'hug'. "Anyway, I suppose you're hungry, right?" Blaze pulled away from him, wings ruffling and tail twitching excitedly.

"Food!" she whined, nibbling on the piece of sausage that Roxas offered to her. A few pieces of sausage and bacon later, Blaze stepped away and rubbed her belly with a clawed hand contentedly.

"Sorry I didn't bring you anything last night. I didn't eat either," he explained, looking at her apologetically.

"It's okay," Blaze mumbled, clacking her claws together thoughtfully. "When can I fly?" she asked suddenly. Roxas bit his lip. This had long been a battle since the little dragon had hatched two months ago.

"I promise; as soon as I find a chance where I know nobody will catch you and try to hurt you, I'll take you out flying somewhere," Blaze bobbed her head up and down in what Roxas considered a nod.

"Good. I'd like to take you flying one day. It would be fun! Maybe we could battle a monster somewhere and become heroes! Or, we could save the kingdom from an evil sorcerer who is trying to take over the kingdom! It would be so exciting!" Roxas laughed at her enthusiasm. There wasn't much of a chance of any of that happening.

"Okay, okay, calm down! I suppose we should go back to bed before someone hears us." Blaze snorted her agreement, smoke rising from her nostrils. "Alright. Good night…um, Good morning."

"Good morning," she murmured, crawling back under the pile of dresses that she used as a bed. Roxas smiled slightly, petted her head once more, and left.

"Well, isn't that interesting?" Roxas jumped at the voice, staring wide-eyed at the intruder. "A dragon? I wonder what your brother would say?"

Who is the intruder? I don't even know yet! XD Once again, thanks to all of you. **Don't forget to give me your opinion for the story I mentioned above. Should I chibify the KH cast with Riku having to baby-sit them all?**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the wait! A bit of writer's block going on here…but oh well! I'm over it for the moment, so let the story continue!

Chapter 4:

"Y-Your one of those guards that came with Axel!" Roxas glared at the man angrily. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Forgive me _princess_, but it was your brother's orders that I come and get you. When you didn't answer your door, I began to worry, so I entered and I find you in your closet talking with a _dragon_," silver eyes narrowed, but amusement seemed to blanket them. "Oh, how rude of me; Zexion at your service." He bowed respectfully.

Roxas bit his lip, wringing his hands together nervously. "Okay Zexion. What do you want?" Zexion seemed surprised.

"Want? Why would I want something?" Roxas growled low in his throat. So the man was going to play with him now, was he?

"I'll give you anything! I'll do anything! Just don't tell anyone about Blaze, please," he pleaded. Zexion looked towards the closet where the little dragonet had opened the door and was peeking out curiously. He couldn't help but chuckle, walking over and patting the beast on the head gently.

"I won't t—" he paused, a small smirk crossing his face as a thought entered his mind. Oh, this could help with the prince's little predicament. "I won't tell anyone, _if_ you try to get along with Prince Axel."

The blond twitched and looked at Blaze. Her orange-yellow eyes were partially closed, obviously enjoying the attention that Zexion was currently giving her. Roxas sighed in defeat; he couldn't let something bad happen to Blaze just because he didn't want to get along with the prince. After all, they did have to spend the rest of their life together…

"Fine. I'll try to get along with Axel, but I'm not making any promises!" Zexion chuckled.

"Very well; but I suppose in that case, I can't make any promises either," he stood up and walked towards the door. "As I said before, your brother wants to speak to you. Good night, _princess_."

Roxas twitched at the title. Princess. Ugh! "Yeah," he muttered after the older man had left. What a predicament he was in. One slip up and that was it! No more Blaze.

"I like him," Blaze commented, lifting her nose in the direction that Zexion had gone. Roxas gave her a wry smile.

"Why would you? He just threatened to tell everyone you were here," Blaze blinked, her eyes wide and curious. "Do you even know what that would mean for you?"

"Yes," he admitted, lashing her tail around restlessly. "But I don't think he would really tell." Roxas shook his head at the dragon's naïve nature.

"Hopefully we never find out. Now go to sleep; I have to go talk to Sora," Blaze nodded and retreated into the closet, her talons clanking against the stone floor and her tail dragging after her.

* * *

Roxas stepped into Sora's room, closing the door behind him quietly. The older twin sat at a desk, head in his hands as he read over a paper grimly. Something was definitely wrong.

"Sora?" he asked quietly. Sora turned and looked at Roxas sadly, shaking his head slowly. "What's wrong? What happened?"

The brunette lowered his head and whispered, "Hayner and Pence are dead." Roxas' eyes widened in shock. Sure, they had been guards, but Roxas and Sora had grown up with the boys and they had quickly become close friends.

"W-What? How!?" he bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears. Sora shook his head again and turned away. "Sora, what happened to them? I deserve to know!"

"Riku's father!" Sora had tears streaming down his face now. "Riku's father sent a small band of his men over and they killed them along with a few others."

Roxas lowered his hands to his sides and stared at Sora full of pity. It was one thing that they had lost two of their best friends, but this was a double slap for poor Sora. Long ago, when they had been kids, Sora and Riku had been best friends. Their kingdoms were at peace with one another and they spent everyday together. But as they got older, that friendship turned into something more. They had actually fallen…in love. But as soon as Riku's father had found out, he immediately confronted their own father about it. They had fought and severed all ties their kingdoms had. With that, Sora had never seen Riku again. But now, it sounded like Riku's father was ready to act against them now that their father was gone.

Slowly, Roxas walked over and wrapped his arms around his brother comfortingly. He couldn't imagine how much Sora was hurting right now. "Sora, it'll be okay. I know it will."

"No it won't!" Sora pulled away; grabbing the paper he had been reading earlier and handing it to Roxas. "He's declaring war on us and there's nothing I can do to stop it!" Roxas skimmed the paper, shaking his head and throwing it to the floor.

"What about Axel, the wedding?" Roxas asked, actually concerned for the red head's safety. Hallow Bastion's military was a dangerous force; they actually used some of the beasts that they feared to fight. It would be a dangerous campaign and Axel could easily lose his life if he didn't get away.

"I have to stop it. I'll have to send Axel home where he'll be safe and pray to God that Riku's father doesn't decide to expand his territory after he wipes us out," Roxas narrowed his eyes angrily.

"What's that attitude!? Are you giving up already?" Sora only lowered his head. "The battle hasn't even begun! You can't decide who will win or lose until the very end!" Finally, Sora looked up, his blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Even if we do win, will it really be worth it? To win, Riku's father will have to be slain; who's to say Riku won't despise me for it?" Roxas huffed angrily and turned away from the brunette.

"Isn't our predicaments similar? I have to marry Axel, against my will, to keep our kingdom safe. You have to fight this war for the same reason; in the end, we both have to do something that we don't want to," Sora lifted his head and chanced a glance at his younger twin. "Besides," he murmured, his tone softening as he turned to meet Sora's gaze. "It's what mama and papa would want."

"When…did you become so…grown up?" Sora asked quietly, a small smile coming to his face. The blond smiled in turn. "But, you're wrong about one thing; our predicaments are nothing alike. It's the reasoning for our actions that is the same, Roxas." Sora walked away, looking out the window where the sun was just beginning to rise. "Roxas, while I fight this war, I want you to leave with Axel where you'll be safe."

Roxas shook his head stubbornly. "No! Sora, I'm not a princess! I'm a boy. A _boy_! I can help you fight!" Sora scowled at his brother's stubbornness. "Don't give me that look. I'm not going anywhere."

"How am I supposed to be a good king, when my own brother won't do why I say?" he asked weakly, but jokingly. Roxas smiled and shrugged. "I guess I need to tell Axel that he has to leave; I just hope his father understands and doesn't join Hallow Bastion."

"No need." Roxas and Sora turned to see the red head walking in. Sora growled irritably at the older prince.

"I ask that you don't eavesdrop on my conversations! It's rude and, most of the time, it's none of your business!" Axel was looking away from the two, only shrugging in response.

"I wasn't really listening to much of it. I just came to tell you that my father's gone. He died last night," he mumbled, leaning against the wall tiredly. "His advisors are giving me the two weeks that were originally planned for my marriage. If I'm not married by that time, the throne goes to someone else."

Roxas could actually see the pain and misery in his eyes as he spoke. He must have been close to his father; a lot closer than he had been to his own. "I'm so sorry Axel," Roxas whispered, laying a comforting hand on the Axel's shoulder. "I hope you'll be okay."

Axel glared up at him and pulled away from him, standing from where he had slid to the floor. "Whatever; it's not like you really care about me anyway." With that, Axel left the room, leaving Roxas feeling guilty. Yes, he actually felt guilty about treating the prince they way he had. He even knew that his father was dying, and yet he still treated him badly.

"How…can this day get any worse?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Sora glanced out the window and frowned.

"I'll tell you how," he muttered, pointing towards the direction of Hallow Bastion. Though they looked like tiny birds from where they stood, they both knew that the creatures flying through the air were readying for battle.

Roxas leaned his head against Sora's shoulder, eyes closing miserably. "Sora? I think I'm having a bad day." Sora could only nod in agreement as he watched the proceedings out his window.

Yes, somewhat of a depressing chapter, but it's something…besides, it gets better! Riku will be in soon!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took a little longer to update…I've been writing my other story "Where Are You?" like crazy. Check it out if you like AkuRoku, Soku, and Zemyx…and I may even add TerraXVen pairing in it too! Anyway, on to THIS story.

Chapter 5:

A silver-haired boy groaned quietly, moving painfully to glance through the bars that held him captive. How many years had it been since his father had thrown him in the dungeon that was now his home? He had lost count a long time ago.

Footsteps were heard and he cringed instinctively. Visitors only meant pain; what did he mean by that? The meager tunic he was allowed to wear was cut into shreds, proof of the torture he had to endure nearly everyday. Whips, knives, and even fire…anything to cause him pain on a regular basis.

"Riku," a soft voice whispered. His aqua colored eyes glanced up dully, meeting kind, blue eyes. "Here, I brought you something to eat." The blond girl pushed a piece of bread through the bars, making sure the young prince had a hold of it, before letting go.

"Namine…thank you," he whispered, nibbling on the bread slowly. It wasn't very often that he was fed, so he intended to enjoy ever bite of this rare meal.

"I have some bad news Riku," Namine whispered, bowing her head slightly. "Your father is getting ready to attack Sora's kingdom. He intends to have him killed, and then he's going to take over his kingdom."

Riku cringed, leaning heavily against the bars of his cell. He had always known in the back of his mind that this day would come, but never did he expect it to happen so soon. News of the previous king's death had reached his ears only a couple of months ago, and he had figured it would take longer for his own father to get their army organized.

"Sora," he whispered, his voice distressed and weak. It was hopeless; the brunette boy he so fondly remembered had never been fond of fighting. The chances of them winning the war were slim to start with, but even more so when he thought of the creatures his father used to fight his battles.

Griffins were used to carry archers; arrows would rain from the sky, killing innocent people who had no chance of escape. Demons would be called upon, using their unnatural claws to tear people open and eat their insides…Riku shuddered at the thought, suddenly feeling ill.

"Namine, I have to get out of here," Riku looked at the girl, his eyes pleading. "Please, help me escape."

Namine bit her lip and looked around, looking for anyone who could possibly overhear their conversation. If she was caught trying to help the prince escape, she would be killed without a second thought.

"Okay Riku. I'll help you."

* * *

Roxas nibbled on his lip nervously, his hand hovering over the closed door. All he had to do was knock and then the red head would come to see him, but after earlier, he wasn't sure that's what either of them wanted.

"_Whatever; it's not like you really care about me anyway."_

The blond flinched as the Axel's words echoed in his mind. Honestly, the prince didn't know him well enough to judge him like that! But then again, he didn't know the prince well enough to judge him like he had before. Roxas sighed and lowered him hand. Axel had sounded so hurt when he had said that…like he actually _liked_ him…

"Are you just going to stand there like some sort of creeper or are you going to come in?" Axel's smooth voice drifted through the door, dragging Roxas from his thoughts. Reluctantly, he opened the door and stepped into the room that the prince had been staying in. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize for—"

"We went over this already! My father—"

"I'm not apologizing about your father!" Axel silenced himself and stared at the blond curiously. "Now, will you just listen to me?"

"Fine," he scowled and crossed his arms, staring at Roxas expectantly. Said _princess_ lowered his head, twiddling his fingers idly, trying to decide what he could say that would get his point across.

"I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time. I know that I've acted cold towards you, but I never took your situation into account." Blue eyes glanced up for a moment before looking back down at the floor. "I'm always so caught up in my own problems; I don't like it when everything is decided for me because I'm a _princess_. I just want to be a normal boy, but I know I can't. Not just because I've been raised like a girl, but because I am…" he trailed off, lowering himself to sit on Axel's bed.

"You what? Go on," Axel urged him on, curious to hear the rest of the confession. He couldn't help but notice how helpless and…adorable the blond looked, sitting on his bed while fiddling with his fingers nervously. He just wanted to hug the distressed boy to him and reassure him that he did indeed forgive him and that everything would be okay.

"I'm…gay…" he whispered, gritting his teeth as the word left his mouth. Never did he want to admit it to anyone, let alone the man that had irritated him to no end only hours before!

If it weren't for the sadness that was so plain on Roxas' face, Axel would have jumped for joy. This made his job ten times easier! "Well, what's wrong with that? I'm gay." Roxas looked up at him, his expression blank. "That doesn't mean you can't be a normal boy."

"You know, I barely know how to be a boy! And being...gay…is just not normal! It's…it's…different!" Axel hummed at the boy, and shook his head. "Yes it is! Most societies don't accept it!"

"You shouldn't care what everyone else thinks of you," Axel mumbled, sitting next to Roxas. "And, when we get married, you can dress however you want to. I'm not gonna make you dress like some prissy woman." Roxas smiled and laughed at that.

"Thanks, I think," he smiled, thankfully. "So…do you forgive me?" Axel seemed thoughtful for a moment before a devious grin crossed his face.

"Depends; will you kiss me?" Roxas' face turned red, recalling the kiss they had shared earlier. After brooding over it, he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed it, but he was still uncomfortable

"Will you forgive me if I do?" Axel nodded his agreement.

"And it doesn't have to be anything big. Just a small peck on the lips; that's all I want." Roxas nodded as well, slowly leaning forward. Their lips met for a second before Roxas pulled away, blushing and looking away shyly. When did he become shy about anything?

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Axel teased, though he couldn't help but want more. The boy seemed uncomfortable about the whole situation, so he supposed he'd have to take it slow with him. "Anyway, I forgive you."

"Can we maybe…start over?" Axel and Roxas shared a smile. Axel grabbed his hand and lightly kissed the back of it as he had the first day he arrived.

"I'd like that. But about this 'war' stuff, I want to stay here." Roxas frowned at that and sighed heavily. He knew he should want the prince to leave where he'd be safe, but now…he kind of _wanted_ him to stay.

"You'll have to talk to Sora about that. He wants me to go with you, but I'm not leaving him here alone." Axel huffed and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Then I'm not leaving either, Sora be damned. I won't leave my fiancé alone when there's a war going on. Got it memorized?" Roxas' cheeks became dusted with a light pink at the title.

"Y-Yeah," he mumbled weakly, rubbing the back of his head. Here he was, finally giving into the man he was meant to marry and…he didn't mind it at all. Maybe marrying Axel wouldn't be as bad as he first thought. He smiled slightly before frowning, an overwhelming sense of sadness consuming him. At first, the blond was confused, until he remembered the news from earlier.

"_Hayner and Pence are dead."_

Axel stared in surprise as Roxas suddenly began to sob, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face into his arms. Where the hell did that come from? He was fine just a minute ago!

"H-Hey? Are you okay?" he asked, reluctantly wrapping an arm around the sobbing boy. "What's wrong?" Roxas turned and clung to him, continuing to sob as he thought of his two best friends that he'd never see again.

"T-They're gone!" he cried, his tears soaking Axel's dark green, silk shirt. "Both of them! I'll n-never get to s-see them again!"

Axel blinked, hugging the boy tightly. He honestly didn't know who he was talking about, but he felt for him. He sat there hugging the sobbing boy until he fell asleep a few hours later, and even after, until he fell asleep himself.

Kind of a short chapter, but I'm fed up with my computer! I had to restart this chapter three times, so be happy I finally got something up! *sigh* So frustrating…anyway, hope you all enjoyed the bit of AkuRoku fluff!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait! I really need to learn not to post stories until I finish the ones I'm working on, but you know when a good idea comes to you, you need to get it down quick. Well, here's the sixth chapter of Royal Pains!

Chapter 6:

Roxas' blue eyes slipped open slowly, a yawn escaping him before he could hold it back. He felt oddly warm and comfortable laying in his bed…his eyes widened when he remembered that he was _not_ in his room. No, he was in Axel's room; last thing he recalled before falling asleep was breaking down in the red head's arms. Already, he could feel the tears burning in his eyes and the headache slowly returning. He didn't need this, not this early in the morning.

He glanced up at the source of his warmth. Axel's sleeping face greeted him and he couldn't keep the small smile from his lips. Of all the words that could be used to describe the prince, Roxas would never have used the word 'cute'. But as he continued to stare up at his relaxed and smiling face that was the only word he could really think of. Who would have thought it?

"Wait a minute," he mumbled quietly, turning to look out the window. It wasn't morning at all. He had fallen asleep in the afternoon and the sun had only recently set. The sky was a darkish blue with a purplish-pink tint just barely showing in the distant horizon. "That was a whole day wasted, but still," he sighed, glancing back at Axel. "It was kind of nice."

"Awe, Roxy! I'm glad you enjoyed my company!" Roxas growled, resisting the urge to punch the prince upside the head. Emerald eyes opened and looked down at the little blond in amusement. "Don't give me that look. If it makes you feel any better, I enjoyed your company too."

"You know, you're really—" Roxas closed his mouth and swallowed as Axel lightly kissed his temple. The arms around his small form pulled him closer to the older boy in a comforting manner. Roxas was just plain confused. "Wha…?"

"Are you feeling better?" The prince sounded so sincere and serious. It was actually kind of scary to hear him like that when all Roxas knew of him was the seemingly carefree and annoying side. "You were so upset earlier. I was really worried." The younger boy felt his face grow warm in embarrassment. It was bad enough that he had been seen in such a state, but realizing that the prince had actually _worried_ about him bothered him even more. He actually felt guilty for it.

"I'm okay. I just, you know…I lost my two best friends. That and this whole war thing kind of pushed me over the edge. I guess I needed to let everything out." It was rare that he cried, let alone having a full break down. And in front of someone else? Psh…it figured!

Axel sighed heavily and lightly ruffled Roxas' hair. "Well I really don't know what to say, but I'm sorry," he mumbled, rubbing his head awkwardly. "If you need to talk or just need someone to go to, you know I'm here for you." Axel suddenly huffed and shook his head. "Ugh, I'm not good at being serious. Sorry about that." The grin was back on his face and he leaned closer towards Roxas until their lips met.

Just like earlier, it was a soft kiss. Even so, it felt different to Roxas. Maybe it was because he was more willing or because he felt an oddly strong passion on Axel's part, he honestly didn't know, but it made the kiss all the better. Before he knew it, their lips were moving against each other. He could feel the last bit of resistance he had against the marriage crumble right there. The blond just didn't want to resist the prince anymore. He couldn't. He let out a quiet sigh when Axel pulled away, silently wishing that the red head would've continued just a little longer, though he wouldn't admit that out loud; not yet.

"I guess you enjoyed that," Axel teased, smirking at the light blush on the younger boy's face. Roxas scowled, willing the blush away. Damn the prince for ruining the moment like that. "Relax, Roxy. I'm just kidding." Axel chuckled when the stubborn _princess_ turned away from him.

"Well, I asked Roxas to get along with Axel, but I never expected this." Roxas' eyes widened slightly and turned to Sora, who was peeking into the room with a large grin.

"You couldn't knock or…why are you here?" Roxas' blush was back again, redder than it had been before. His brother had seen him kissing the very man that he had been so reluctant to be with before recently. Sure, he had told Sora that he would give Axel a chance, but he had already fallen so easily! And now, here was Sora, practically rubbing it in his face that he was…damn him!

"I went to your room earlier and you weren't there so I decided to ask Axel if he knew where you wandered off to, but I guess I have my answer now," the brunette laughed when Roxas glared at him weakly. "Relax. I just wanted to tell you that dinner is ready and want to make sure you eat. With everything that's happened and knowing you…" he trailed off and looked down at the floor. Roxas had a habit of getting depressed, sometimes refusing to eat days at a time if someone didn't force him.

"I'm fine, Sora," Roxas said softly, running his hand through his spiky, blond locks. "Now that you mention it, food does sound good. Why don't we head down?"

Sora looked mildly surprised, but relieved nonetheless, and nodded his agreement. Sora grinned slightly when he watched Roxas tug Axel lightly so that he would follow. It amazed him how quickly his younger brother had grown attached after giving the prince a chance. Apparently Axel was doing something right and working fast.

Dinner was quiet that night, given that they were the only ones there. Axel was finished before Sora or Roxas even managed to get half way through their plates, and the rest of the time was spent staring at Roxas. It was starting to freak the blond out.

"Will you stop staring?" he whined, looking at the red head pleadingly. "Please! It's just weird!" Axel blinked, a lazy smile creeping onto his face.

"You interest me," the prince mumbled, shrugging slightly. Roxas huffed, sitting all utensils aside and crossing his arms over his chest.

"What could possibly be so interesting about watching me eat?" Axel smirked and scooted closer to the little blond, much to Roxas' discomfort. "What are you doing?"

"I can't sit closer to you? And to answer your previous question, anything is more interesting than just sitting here doing nothing," he mumbled, wrapping an arm around Roxas' waist and pulling him into his lap. He leaned close to the younger boy's ear, whispering, "Eat up," before nibbling lightly on Roxas' earlobe.

Sora, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, nearly chocked when he heard Roxas let out a quiet moan. "C-Can't the two of you do that somewhere a little more private!?"

Roxas nearly pushed the red head away, but stopped and smirked towards his older brother. It was time for a little pay back. "You brought this on yourself. After all, it was you who pushed me into marrying him. Can't I have a little _fun_ with my fiancé?" With that, Roxas turned and kissed Axel roughly, sliding his tongue into the prince's mouth and exploring eagerly.

Sora buried his face into his arms and groaned. "T-That's just…ugh." What made it worse was that Axel was kissing back just as eagerly, groaning quietly when Roxas' tongue slid over a sensitive area.

There was a sudden commotion in the hall outside of the dining area. One of the guards ran in, bowing quickly. "Sora…! I mean your majesty! Damn, I'll never get used to that," The man ran his hand through black spikes. There was a large sword on his back that seemed much too heavy to handle, and yet he didn't seemed bothered by its weight at all.

"Zack? (Yes, Zack Fair!! I could not resist!) Don't worry about it. Now, what's going on out there?" Zack blinked, seemingly remembering something important.

"Well, the patrols near the border caught two people sneaking onto our land from Hallow Bastion and brought them here thinking they were spies or soldiers, but," he cut himself off, rubbing the back of his head lightly.

"But what?" Sora was standing now, looking at him impatiently. Something important had happened and he wanted to know! Zack had never been one to be worried or reluctant, so what was with the change?

"But one of the people captured was…it was Riku."

* * *

Sora stared at the boy worriedly, gently running his hands through the others hair slowly. He was in bad shape, bruised and bloody, and that no doing from his own men. He had been reduced to skin and bones, none of the muscle that Sora remembered remaining. Despite all that though, he still thought he was beautiful. Vaguely, he wondered who would have caused this, but he already knew. It was his own father who had done this to him. That man deserved to die!

Roxas and Zack watched Sora closely. There was the boy he had loved, lying broken in front of him. "Zack…how did this happen?"

Zack glanced at Roxas, shrugging slightly. "I honestly don't know. I do know that my men did nothing but drag him here. Right now, we're questioning the girl that came with him. We'll figure it out." He sighed and ruffled Roxas' hair lightly. "Eh, don't worry about it, okay? I'll keep an eye on your brother. You should go to your room and just rest. From what I understand, you have a lot to worry about yourself." His eyes wandered towards the red head that stood in the hall, waiting for Roxas to come out.

"B-But I—" Zack shook his head and lightly shooed him out of the room.

"Go on Roxas." Roxas sighed and nodded slowly, walking into the hall. Zack was like another older brother to both him and Sora. He could be trusted to take care of the brunette.

He walked out of the room, and surprised himself by going straight into Axel's arms. Really, sleep is just what he needed right now.

Well, that's it for now! I'm thinking about writing out the rest of the chapters for this before I update again, so it may be awhile, but we'll see!


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